Snap-on hot line stirrup



March 6, 1945. GUNZBURGER 2,370,857

SNAP-ON HOT LINE STIRRUP Filed March 11, 1934 INVENTOR Patented Mar. 6, 1945 SNAIVL-VON HOT Linnsrmnue. EcichGunzburg'en Tulsa, Okla. I V .Applicaflon March 11, 194 4,Se1iit No 5 6 9 Claims.

This invention. relates to improvements in 7 vent vibration breaks of line conductors which occur when a hot line clamp is directly connected to the .line conductor asthe weight of such a clamp rigidly attached to the line conductor and a concentrated at one point may mechanically fatigue such conductor when it is vibrating 'due to wind or other causes.

The stirrups heretofore generally used consist of U-shaped pieces of wire attached to the line conductor by means of electrical connectors, of

-the split bolt type for example, and in order to attach such a stirrup, it is necessary to de-energize the line conductor or perform hazardous hot line work. Efforts have been made to eliminate these undesirable features, but the re-' sultingstructures cannot be used with commercial types of hot line clamps which are generally available. 7 1

One of the objects of the present invention is-to provide a stirrup which can be attached to a line conductor while the latter is energized and without any hazardous operation.

Another object is to supply a stirrup which may be used witheommercial types of hot line clamps now generally available.

With the foregoing objects outlined and with other objects in view which will. appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in the novel features hereinafter described in detail, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and Referring to the drawing} designates a substantially horizontal'bar' of the-stirrup which,

when the latter .israttached to the line coriduc tor 4, will..extendsub'stantially parallel to the latter for several inches. The ena'sor the bar extendupwardly as indicated at'5, and merge with coils 6 which, in turn, are joined to coils I by means of legs 8. Other legs 9 extend downwardly from the coils 1 and terminate in U shaped portions I!) that are preferably rigidly secured to the arms 5 by welded joints indicated at H.

I It will be noted from Fig. 2 that the parts 5,

9, and It are preferably in the same plane, and

bowed. portions l2 join these parts to the loops.

It may also be seen from this figure that each leg 8 has an oppositely bowed portion 13 cooperating with the bowed portion'l2 to form eyes It for the reception of the line conductor 4. Each leg 8 is preferably of zig-zag' shape andhas a medial portion l5 bowed in the opposite direce tionto-the bow l3, so as to extend through the loop l6 (at' each end of the stirrup) when the device is in use. a

Each leg 8 extends downwardly at an angle to the parts 5 and 9, as indicated at IT, so as'to provide a crotch E8 to receive the-line conductor when the stirrup has to be attached to the latter. i

In installing the deviceon a hot line conductor, an insulated stick havinga horizontal pin may be used, and the pin will be inserted into one I of the coils 6, I and then the stirrup can be raised by the stick until the line conductor enters the crotches I8 so that the device will straddle the conductor. Then, the pin of the insulated stick is removed from the coil and placed on one of the U-shaped parts I!) and pulled downwardly until the leg 8 at that end of the stirrup snaps onto the conductor. Afterwards, the pin of the insulated stick is placed on the U-shaped part IIJ at the opposite end of the stirrup and pulled down' wardly to snap the leg 8 at that end onto theline conductor. It will be obvious that through such pulling movement, the lower end of each leg 8' will be moved away from the lower end of the stirrup until the conductor is in position to enter the eye l4.

After the stirrup has been attached to the line conductor, a hot line clamp or clamps can be readily secured to the bar 3.

While I have disclosed what I now consider to be a preferred embodimentof the invention in such manner that the same may be readily un derstood by those skilled in the art, I am aware s that changes may be made in the details disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention, as expressed in the following claims:

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A snap-on hot line stirrup comprising a main substantially U-shaped portion having auxiliary substantially U-shaped portions at the ends thereof, a leg depending into each auxiliary U- shaped portion, and coils joining the legs respectively to the upper ends of each auxiliary U- shaped portion.

2. A snap-on hot line stirrup comprising a'main substantially U-shaped portion having auxiliary substantially U-shaped portions at the ends thereof, a leg depending into each auxiliary U-,

shaped portion, and coils joining the legs respectively to the upper ends of each auxiliary U- shaped portion, said stirrup being constituted of resilient conducting wire.

3. A snap-on hot line stirrup comprising a main substantially U-shaped portion having auxiliary substantially U-shaped portions at the ends thereof, a leg depending into each auxiliary U- shaped portion, and coils joining the legs respectively to the upper ends of each auxiliary U- shaped portion, each leg and adjacent part of the companion auxiliary U-shaped portion being oppositely bowed to provide an eye.

4. A snap-on hot line stirrup comprising a main substantially U-shaped portion having aux iliary substantially U-shaped portions at the ends thereof, a leg depending into each auxiliary U shaped portion, and coils'joining the legs respectively to the'upper ends of each auxiliary U- shaped portion, each leg being of substantially zig-zag shape and terminating in a portion extending downwardly away from the U-shaped portions.

5. A snap-on hot line stirrup formed of a single piece of resilient conducting wire and comprising a main substantially U-shaped portion having arms terminating in coils, a leg integral with each coil, a second coil integral with each leg, and an auxiliary leg integral with each second coil, and rigidly connected with the main substantially U- shaped portion.

ERICH GUNZBURGER.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 2,570,857. March 6, l9h5.

ERICH GUNZBURGER.

numbered patent It is hereby certified that error appears in the above line 5 requiring correction as follows: In the heading to the drawing: for "Filed March 11, 19511." read --Filed March 11, 19bit"; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein 'that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 29th day of May, A. D. 19h5.

Leslie Frazer (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Pejja nts. 

